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Never did a rear window look so good.
All right y'all. The South has done its job so now it's up to all y'all Yankees to help Joe finish the healing process. Tony loaded Joe into the truck on Saturday and they made it home late that night. Here are the final shots of Joe heading out of town.
party time!My face is in pain because of the huge freakin' smile on it. The smile has been there since I left the hospital this evening. The day started out good enough when Joe sent me a picture of himself leaning on his walker and brushing his teeth. Sorry about the quality, but he needs a much better camera phone...
Then, when I get there tonight, Joe tells me he knows his release date and shows me his "Graduation" announcement. JOE IS HEADING HOME ON SATURDAY. His brothers are coming down on Friday and they'll load up Joe's pickup and get the hell out of Dodge.
This has been a good day and is JUST what we've been looking forward to. Make no mistake, Joe has a lot of work ahead of him and it's going to be VERY hard work, but now he's going to be in his own home with a lot of helpers and will be surrounded by friends and family.
happyJoe,
Rest comfortably
Think good thoughts
Be patient with yourself
Picture yourself well
Relax, recover,
and remember...
Healing thoughts
and good wishes
are being sent your way.
Hope today finds you
feeling better than yesterday!
Christy
Tony is with his brother at the hospital right now, and I haven't heard how his second day of therapy went this morning. Yesterday much of his therapy was still at the assessment stage, but it was a lot of activity and he spent some time getting in and out of a wheelchair and learning a little about his walker.
The broken arm will still hamper things a bit at the beginning, but there is a platform for it to rest on that's built into the walker. It will take a little getting used to. After yesterday's session, Joe talked most about his left leg. His right leg is strong and can support him, but so far his left doesn't seem interested in doing what his brain is telling it to do. Sounds like the nerves have some learning to do. Anyway, the steps have begun.
After his therapy yesterday, the four of us watched the SEC Championship game. I'll guess that Joe and Tony will put the NFL on soon and I'll head down to see them later.
Looking Forward...Keith
Joe's brother Tony and his friend Tracy are both in town this weekend spreading some holiday cheer.
Joe literally went cruisin' for a bruisin'
Here are pics of the left and right side of his back.
From this point on, only invited users can post new entries. If you would like to post entries, please email me at KRForrester at gmail.com. (Email adjusted to avoid robo-spam so replace "at" with "@" per email standards).
In your email, if I don't know you, just tell me your relationship to Joe (work, friend, etc.) and I'll send you an invite. I'm sorry if these extra steps prevent anyone from posting, but apparently the steps are necessary to avoid spam, etc.
Those who have previously posted are already registered so feel free to post away.
Looking Forward...Keith
Keith, you don't have to post this, I just want to say thanks again for managing this page the way you have. Yes, it's unfortunate that idiots still exist in what is supposed to be a civilized society, but they are out there and we have to deal with them as best we can.
Joe, you know I'm thinking of you and praying for your speedy recovery. It was good to see the video today and know that you're looking good, even if you're not feeling the best. Hope to see you before Christmas. And I will be available to help whenever I can, in whatever capacity you need, when you return.
Go surprise your therapists!
Tom
Because people are stupid, I've had to change the rules on this blog. Please feel free to add entries, however, they won't post until they are approved. I'll approve them on as regular basis as possible.
If the idiot who made this happen would like to contact me directly, feel free.
Joe wanted to thank his supporters.
happyThe drivers are standing by and Joe is moving today. Yay!
Once he's settled I'll post the address, etc. And soon, Joe is going to have to take responsibility for these posts. Typing one-handed is not that tough.
cheeky
It's time to leave Grady Hospital behind. Grady saved Joe's bacon, but now it's his turn to work. We're hoping that tomorrow Joe will be moved to the Piedmont Rehabilitation facility. Chicago rehab will have to wait, but two weeks or less and Joe should be on his way home.
I'll post the information when it actually happens, but let's all hope he changes hospitals tomorrow because as soon as he does, the serious rehab begins.
Looking Forward...Keith
Joe,
Glad to hear your moving around. I doubt any of your friends have stopped thinking about you for the past several days. I think it's the first time I have actually lost sleep over anything you did.
My thoughts are with you; wish I could make it down, but I'll be available for anything you need when you return to the frigid tundra of Chicagoland. (current temp... 13 degrees)
Best,
Tom
Joe had a workout with his PT and OT yesterday and they said he "passed the test." That just means they feel he both has the ability and the willingness to begin his first round of rehab. They had Joe, with help, swing his legs off the side of the bed and his feet touched the floor for the first time in more than a week.
Now that the therapists have done their evaluation and green-lighted him for the next step, they will consult with his social worker and talk about the where, when, and how. With luck, we may have some of those answers today. Stay tuned.
Joe will have a couple more visitors this weekend. Both his brother Tony and friend Tracy McBride will be in town. With me there, we'll have the foursome that motorcycled through IL, WI, and MI this past summer.
Looking Forward...Keith
Joe, Just heard the news from Keith! It sounds like you got lucky - although you probably aren't feeling lucky right now.... We are glad to hear you made it through surgery without any serious complications. The drain in your wound is to allow excess blood not to drain and not accumulate - so it does not put pressure on your incision site. As nurses, Tony and I recommend you listen to your Dr. and your nurses and eventually your therapists! We know you are not one to follow rules - but in this instance you might want to. We are thinking of you and wish you a speedy recovery - and in the meantime enjoy your "bed baths"!!! Take Care and we will be following your progress via this blog. Keith, thanks for the communication!
We just had a very good conversation with Joe's Social Worker, however she could only answer so much prior to speaking with Joe's Physical Therapist (PT) and Occupational Therapist (OT). We haven't met them yet, but hopefully they'll be in before the day is over. It is their recommendations that will hold the most sway in deciding the next steps.
Everything else being equal, Joe would like to do his two week rehab in Chicago. Unfortunately, things are far from equal so that's where we're very interested in what the two therapists have to say. They will be taking everything into consideration including Joes wishes and what's best for the patient.
These two weeks of initital therapy will probably (I say probably because again this is subject to the therapists inputs) consist of three hours per day of intense work and will require him to stay in a facility. Managing his pain will be an important part of this, and I believe he will soon be moving from the self-administered morphine to a more regularly scheduled medication routine administered by the pros.
So, bottom line is that the Social Worker knows his wishes and we're waiting for what the PT and OT have to say after their full evaluation of his condition. On the business side of things, the social worker is also checking into exactly what the insurance will and will not allow. The bean counters are involved in everything! Chicago may be the goal, but Atlanta may be the reality. If so, then the goal switches to getting Joe home by Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed.
By the way, Joe's beard is coming in nicely and he's trying to decide whether or not to shave. I'll try and get a new picture up so you can all help with the decision. Maybe a poll will be in order!
Looking Forward...Keith
After a bad back injury, I did a pretty long, very productive stint in and out of the Rehab Institute of Chicago. It's an amazing place with amazing staff. My Musculoskeletal specialist, Dr Smith, is the CEO there now too. It's where Tom Mackechney was for therapy. It's also a lot easier to heal emotionally when you're near your friends and family obviously.
Glad to hear things are getting clearer.
bertocchi
Over the next couple days Joe hopes to gain focus on what his next steps are and where they may take place. In rough timeframes, he has a bit more time to spend in the hospital he's in currently; probably a week or less. As of last night, he had not been moved out of the ICU, but that likely had as much to do with logistics and finding another room than it did with his condition. He's expecting to move rooms at any time.
Following this hospital, Joe's understanding that he'll need two weeks in a rehab center. One complication to Joe's rehab is his broken arm. Not having full use of the arm will prevent him from fully supporting himself while he works on strengthening and rehabbing the pelvis injury. That means he needs a lot of support from health professionals in the early going.
The biggest question right now is what rehab center he will go to and what city it will be in. It can obviously be done right here in Atlanta, but Joe's still trying to figure out the possibility of moving to Chicago for that two week session. Doctors make it sound like they would only recommend travel via ambulance or medical flight. Pros and cons will be weighed and the risks of travel evaluated before he makes any final decisions. More later.
Looking Forward...Keith
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